Body weight and eating habits of school students in Kore sub-district of Erbil: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and objective: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries. The aim of this study was to assess the weight of a sample of school students and its association with their eating habits and life-style practices. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 477 students selected from four intermediate and secondary schools in Kore sub-district in Erbil, Iraq. Data on the students’ eating and drinking habits, in addition to weight, height, smoking and other life style habits were collected through a self- administered questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity (categorized into one group) was more common among female students than male students (19.9% and 11.8%, respectively) with a significantly statistical difference (OR=0.536; 95% CI, 0.321-0.894, P= 0.017). Sleeping hours/night was also significantly associated with overweight and obesity, where sleeping less than 6 hours and between 6 and 8 hours was significantly associated with overweight and obesity (P = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively). There was no statistical association between overweight and obesity and all reported eating habits including breakfast, lunch, fried food, vegetables, salads and fruit juice intake, in addition to intake of crisps and cakes, energy providing drinks, soft drinks, and of milk and dairy products. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the study sample was low and there was no significant association with the eating habits and life-style practices, apart from those sleeping less than eight hours/nigh.